Resilient motivating device



July 24, 1951 J. F. O'BRIEN ETAL &

RESILIENT MOTIVATNG DEVICE Filed Oct. 3, 1947 PIE 4 IN V EN TORS JOSEPH F.'O'BREN JOHN E. CATALDO A TTORNE Y Patented July 24, 1951 RESILIENT MOTIVATING DEVICE` Joseph F. O'Bren, Lebanonand John B. Cataldo, Annandale, N. J., assignors to' John B. Pierce Foundation, New York, Y., a corporation of New York Application October 3, 1947, Serial No. 77 7,688

4 Claims.

This invention relates to motivating devices i which are spring actuated, and more particularly to those having an instantaneous snap action from an unstable position of energy storage to a spent position of stability.

Devices of this type have a variety of uses, for I example, in connection with eleotric circuit breaker mechanisms for bringing about separation of the circuit make-and-break contacts i upon the occurrence of electrical overload in the circuit protected by the mechanism.

Generally they embody a throw member arranged for reciprocation, one stroke thereof `be- `ing spring-actuated, the other being for the purpose of re-setting the device to its unstable position of energy storage whereby the said member may again be made to execute a throw or power stroke under spring actuation.

It has been found in the past that a particularly effective power stroke, with attendant.,`

One of the objects of the present invention is-` to efiectively lengthen the stroke possible of attainment with a snap-disa spring in a device of the type concerned.

Another is to do so without nhibiting, but rather'enhancing, the normal operative results thereof.

The desired improvement is obtained, pursuant to the invention, by combining with the snapdisc spring, preferably adjacent its operative center, a coil spring which resiliently transmits the action of the snap-disc over an extended stroke, determined in extent by the length and compression characteristics of such coil spring.

Further objects and features of the invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred specific embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in fragmentary vertical section of structure embodying a preferred form of the invention; the resilient motivating device being illustrated in its stable, spent position;

Fig. 2 is a similar View but illustrating the device at an intermediate stage between the stable position of Fig. 1 and the unstable, energystorage position;

Fig. 3 is a similar view illustrating the device at its unstable energy-storage position ready for the return power stroke;

i Fig. 4 is a similar View illustrating the device at an intermediate stage of the sprng-actuated power stroke; and i Fig.` 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawing: The particular `formof the device here illustrated comprises a throw-red !e made up of separable lengths Ilia and mb, the length !na being provided with a shank ll of reduced diameter which terminates in a threaded end portion l2, and the length lub having an internally threaded recess provided in one end thereof for screw connection with the said threaded end of shank ll. See Fig. 1.

-The device -is mounted in rame structure possessing the` spaced guide plates !3 and [4, through which the throw-red !0 extends for` reciprocative sliding movement. The throw-rod may accomplish any particular purpose for which the device is designed; for example, the

, part lub thereof may carry an electrical shorting bar (not shown) for bridging a gap in an electric power circuit, and the part Ilia may carry a keeper `(not shown) for suitable latch mechanism, whereby the device is adapted to serve as a Component part of an eleotric circuit breaker.

The shank ll of the throw-rod provides .a coupling zone dened by spaced stop shoulders, for "loosely coupling snap-disa spring !5 to the `throw-red. such snap-disc spring is a singleequilibrium type, having a rim It, a hub l'l, and

spokes I'B radiating from hub to rim, all as is well known in the art. The snap disk spring is a uni-metal disk integrally formed of a 'single homogeneous metal. An aperture for the reception of shank Il of the throw-rod is provided through the hub IT, and the rim !6 is adapted to fit into a circumferential recess !9 provided in a support 20 which is fixed in position in any suitable manner.

Positioned between the snap-disc spring l 5 and that stop shoulder ZI of the throw-rod which is disposed adjacent the stable position of such snap-disc spring, and closely encircling the throw-rod shank ll, is a coil compression spring 22, advantageously designed to be somewhat weaker than the snap-disc spring, and effective to extend the normal range of throw of the latter. As illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the coil spring 22 is directly interposed between the shoulder 2| on the throw rod and the snap disk spring.

In Fig. 1 the device is shown in its stable position, the snap-disc spring [5 being in its position of equilibrium and the coil spring 22 being freely extended. Assuming the device to be embodied in an electric circuit breaker, as above set forth, this would be the position of the component parts following release of the latching mechanism and consequent throwing of the throw-rod o to raised, circuit-breaking position.

For re-'setting the device, throw-rod o is forced through its return stroke, here downwardly, either manually or by other suitable means. course of this forced return stroke of the throw rod, coi1 spring 22 is first compressed. It is preferred that the relative strengths of the "two springs be such that the compression 'of the 'coil spring is complete before the snap-'disa spring is forced into its unstable position of energy storage, see Fig. 2, though this i's "not necessarily the case.

In the unstable condition of the device, seeFig. 3, the coil spring 22 is fully compressed and the s'nap-disc spring !5 is held in its unstable; energystorage position. This condition of the -device may be maintained in any way' suited to' the `use to which the -devi'ce is pu't. As a Component part of a circuit breaker, the condition will be maintained by the aforementioned iatching mechan'ism operable-on a keeper assoc'iated'w-ith *the part l fla' of the throw-rod.

'Upon release of 'the latc'hing mec'hanism, -or

other means' employed to maintain 'the dev ice in' its uns'tabe condition, both of the springs Will imultaneously act to throw the throw-'rod through its power stroke, the co'ilspring-zz, how- `ever, being operative to resiliently t'ra'nsmit the action of snap-disc "spring 5 to the throw-rod.

`See'Fi'g. '4. In this' manner the force of snap- "disc spring' l 5 is extended beyond 'its normally effective range, the additional-dis'tance depending action within a fixed operative zone, thesituation *may be reversed in -certain instances, the "sup- 'port `20 `'becoming the throw member `'of thede- `'vice and the' rod 'lfl the fixed `anchorage.

Whereasthi's invention is here illustrated and described with respect 'to a particular preferred 'embodiment thereof it shouldbe understood that In the various changes may be made therein and other specific embodiments may be constructed, on the basis of the teachings hereof, by those skilled in the art without departing from the generic purview of the invention as defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. In combination, a reciprocative throw element; a single equilibrium snap-disc spring with which said throw element is loosely coupled;

means anchoring said snap-disc spring integrally formed of a single homogeneous metal for operation `within a fixed zone; and a compression `coil spring directly interposed between said snapdisc spring and said throw element for increasing the effective 'length of throw of said snapdisc spring,

2. The combination rected in claim 1 wherein the throw element is a rod passing through the center of the snap-disc spring and loosely coupled thereat to afford limited lost motion of said rod relative to said snap-disc spring; and wherein the coil spring closely encircles the said :cod within the zone of couplng, for resi-lientl-y transmitting the force of said snap-disc spring to said throw rod over an extended distance.

3. In combination, a single equilibrium snapdi'sc' 'spring integrally formed of a single homogeneous metal; a rod passing through the center of said snap-disa spring; spaced stop means loosely coupling said spring .to said rod; a `rigid circumferential support for `said spring;'and a, 'compression coil spring closely encircling saidrod directly 'between said 'sn'ap-disc spring `and that one of said stop 'means which is disposed adjacent the stable position of said snap-disa spring.

4. The combination set forth in c`laim3 wherein the rod is movable, and 'the support is fixed.

JOsEPI-I F. O'BRIEN. JOHN B. CATALDO.

REFER'ENCES CITED The *following 'references 'are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES `PATENTS Number Name Date 1,958,594 Spencer May :15, 1934 1,983,823 spencer Dec. 11,193& `2,217,419 Saul Oct. a, 1940 

